Apparatus for rolling tubing.



R. O. STIEFEL & J. H. NICHOLSON.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TUBING. APPLIGATION 11.51) DEC. 26, 1963.

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WJWNESSEQ R. G. STIEFEL & J. H. NICHOLSON.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TUBING. APPLICATION FILED p30. 26, 1903.

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. JL mw ww R. O. STIEPEL & J. H. NICHOLSON.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING TUBING.

APPLIUATION FILED DEG..26,1903.

Patented June 1, 1909.

3 SHEETS-S on can sinrrss Parana oration RALPH .Ci STIEFEL, OF ELLWOOP 'IlY, AND JOHN VANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 NATlIOiT A i. TUBE COMPANY, 01" PITISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed December 26, 1903. Serial No. 186,520.

To all whom it may concern:

lje it known that we, RALrii (,3. S'rlurnn, of Ellwood City, Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and Jenn H. NICHOLSON, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Rolling Tubing, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to vthe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a plan View of a mill constructedin accordance with' our invention; Fig. 2 is ia longitudinal central section thereof; Figiii is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in the positidn which they occopy when the tube is being returned to the feeding side of the rolls; Fig. 4: is a cross sectional view on a larger scale on the deliv ery side of the rolls, the section plane being on the line IV- lV of: Fig. 1; Fig.5 is a ver tical section on a larger scale on the feeding side of the rolls, the section plane being on the line V -V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a. vertical section through the rolling mill on the line V I-Vl. of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a diagram side elevation showing a modified construction of the stri 'iping mechanism for returning the tube to the feeding side of the rolls, and Fig. 8 a vcrtical cross-section on the line VIII V Ill oi Fig. 7. 4

In the manufacture of seamless tubes much.

time has been lost because of the difficulty and delay incident to removing the tubes from the rods upon which they delivered as they pass from the rolls, and returning them to the feeding side of the rolls. This has greatly increased the cost or manufacture and has limited the length andthicl completion or". a tube at a single heat and the -necess1ty for a reheat-mg.

Our invention provides a simple means for overcom ng the difficulties heretofore experienced and enabling the rolling operation to be expedited and to be accomplished with a very considerable saving of labor'and expense.

The apparatus which forms the subject of our invention may be modified in various particulars. The preferable form is shown in the drawing in which 2 represents the roll housing containing a pair of rolls 3, 3, which are arranged to be driven contimr ously in a single, direction, the upper roll being vertically movable in the housing in order to separate it from the lower roll sullicienlly to provide a space for the return feeding of the tube. Variously constructed mechanism may be employed for'this purpose, but we pre'ler as shown in Fig. (3, to use a power cylinder or motor l, cormcctcd with a rack 5, which drives a pinion (i on the shaft 7 of a pinion 8 which in turn meshes with toothed nuts 9 on the adjusting screws 1.0 of the upper rolls, the upper roll being counterbalanced by springs '11. or

otherwise, so that when the rack 5 is pioecl'ed or retracted the upper roll will berorrespondingly moved down rapidly toward the lower rolls, or permitted to be raised by the counterbalancing mechai'iism.

For the purpose of adjustably determining the exact distance from the lower roll to which the upper roll is moved in its down motion, we employ a collar IQfiXed to the piston 4 of the cylinder 4, and a threaded. sleeve 13 adapted to be rotated by a handwheel 14: and working in a stationary nut 15 which connected by a frame 16 to the cylinder 4.01 other fixed portion of the apparatus. By turning the wheel l l the sleeveworking in the nut 15 will cause it to be projected orretracted to the desired extent, and the wheel 14 will then constitute a stop with which the collar 12 will engage and will limit the downward motion of the upper rolls to the point desired. \Ve are thus enabled, by the cylinder 4, to raise the upper roll rapidly to the desired extent, and after adjustmentof the hand-wheel 14 to move said roll back toward the lower roll and bring it to the exact distance of separation therciron'l which may he required. 1y adjusting the roll between the passes we are enabled to complete the rolling of lube in a single roove oi the rolls, and this is our preferred practice.

On the 'lccdmn' side of the rolls a lord H. NICHOLSON, OF PITTSBURG, NSYL- table comprising a trough 1? mounted on wheeled carriages lo, the wheels of which run upon parallel transverse tracks 19. These carriages and the feed table can be moved laterally into line with any of the roll passes by a power cylinder 20 or other suitable motor, the parallelism of movement of the carriages being secured by racks 21 thereon in gear with pinions on a shaft 23 which extends along the table and con nects the pinions of the several carriages.

on the delivery side of the rolls, we employ a series of rods Si l: which are fixed at the rear end to a stop 25 and extend forward through supports to the respective roll passes, being suitably formed at the ends to receive the. mandrels over which the tubes are rolled. The use of a nun'ibcr of these rods is desirable though not essential to our invention as we employ only one rod and may shift it laterally from :ne totiine to the roll pass at which the tube is to be rolled. For the purpose of returning the rolled tube back to the feeding side of the rolls, we do not lift the mandrel rod and pull the tube over the rolls, but we employ a stripping mechanism which strips "ie tube longitudinally from the rod and returns it to the feeding side of the rolls through the same roll-groove and in the same axial line in which it had been delivered from the rolls. 'lhis stripping mechanism, when adapted for a series of parallel rods as shown in the drawing, comprises a cross-head 27 carried by a wheeled buggy 2S and having upwardly projecting troughs or forks 29 which fit the rods 2-l. The wheels of the buggy move in suitable channel guides 3t) and they are actuate-fl by a pushing cylinder or motor ll, the rod ill. of which is supported ilrom ging by rollers 252.

in order that the rod supports 26 may not interfere with the operation of the stripper,

we prefer to construct them of yoli'cs or lrames 2-33 having openings Ell in which the rods rest, the yoltes being slotted at 35 in order to permit the shanks of the troughs or forks :29 to pass the yolies as they travel along the rods during their longitudinal motion when actuated by the cylinder. The )OliGS it; are supported by side rods 36 which extend from the backs'tops 25 to the roll housing and are suitably supported at intermediate points. The feeding of the tube to the rolls is effected by a pusher 37 forming part of the piston of a power cylinder 38 which is mounted on and moved with the feed table 17.

The operation is as follows: The tube to be rolled having been suitably heated is placedon the feed table 17, and the latter is brought opposite to the pass of the rolls in which the rolling is to be ei'lccteth a mandrel having been placed on the and of the rod at that pass. The pusher 3T then project? and ad "ances the tube into the roll pass over the mandrel. It is then engaged by the rolls and is delivered upon the rod EZ-l which is in line with that pass. When the rear end of the tube has emerged from the rolls, the rolls are separated as above explained, the man drel is removed and the tripper 23), which was in the retracted position shown in Fig. 2, is then projected by the motor ill and is caused to engage the end ol? the tube which it. pushes along the rod, stripping it there from, returning it through the roll pass in the same axial line in which itwas delivered, and finally depositing it upon the teed table. The stripper is then retracted, the mandrel replaced on the rod, the rolls brought together after having been adju.--.tcd so as to approach somewhat more closely than bel'or and the tubeisthcn ted lJlltlt into the roll-pass by the pusher ill" and delivered again upon the rod 224, atter which it may be. returned as before described to the feeding side ol the rolls. At each return of the tube the stripper preferably passes between the rolls so as to clear the tube tlieretrmn.

The operation of rolling the tube through a single roll groove may be repeated as ol'ten as necessary to con'iplele the linishing ol the tube. we prefer as above described to linish the tube in a single groove and to employ the several grooves or passes respectively for rolling tubes oil dillcrcnt si/.e but it. will he understood that after rolling the tube once or ol'tencr at a single groove it may be shifted laterally and finished at another groove or grooves.

\Ye do not consider the torm olf the stripper or of the teed table to be essential to our invention as broadly claimed. since these may be modified in many ways by the skilled mechanic. \ve believe we are the lirst to provide means "whereby the tube utter hav ing been delivered upon the mandrel rod is returned to the feeding side of the rolls through the sameor an adjacent roll pass as that in which it was delivered lllt'l'tfllollr. the rolls exerting \vorlv'ing pressure upon the tube only during its 'lorward passage. This operation is very quickly cll'ccted. and as the rolls can be continuously driven in a single direction without reversing or stopping them, the opc 'ation of the mill as described is as nearly continuous and uninterrupted as possible. This arrangement. of rolls results in a considerable saving f power as well as ime. inasmuch as each stand ol reversing ls requires a. SOPtlIzilt. engine, whereas may be completed to a. single engine.

ln ltigs. 7 and 8 we show the mill pro vided with a modified construction of stripping mochanism for returning the tube to the feeding side of the rolls. hi this case we euuidoy at each side of the rolls one or more pairs of rollers an, 4.0 which extend transscvc;..1 -stn1ids of continuously driven rolls p of the latter.

versely of the rods on the delivery side of the rolls and extend above and below the feed table on the feeding side of the rolls so that the tube as it c omes from/the rolls, passes between the'irollers. One or both of each pair of rollers is driven in "an opposite direction relatively to the rolls, and the upper roller is yieldingly pressed toward thelower roller. When the tube has left the pass of the main rolls and therolls are separated, the rotation of the rollers 39, acting on the tube with suflicient frictional engagement to move the tube when freed from the bite of the rolls will return the tube back along the rod and between the rolls to the feeding side When the front end of the tube passes the rolls, it is engaged by the rollers 40 on the feeding side of the rolls, and it is drawn thereby until its rear end has passed the planeof the rolls. 'These rollers 40 may be reversed in direction to feed the tube again to the rolls, in which case the pusher cylinder -37 may be dispensed with. For the purpose of imparting tothe tube a quarter turn before'it is fed to the rolls, and thus eflacing the fins which may have been formed thereon at the preceding roll pass, we prefer to arrange the rollers 40 so as to be longitudinally movable in opposite directions by means o f lever mechanism 41, or otherwise. By thus moving the rollers oppositely before the tube is fed back to the rolls the't-ube may be given aquarter-turn for the purpose'above stated. lVe claim: 1. A tube mill comprising continuously driven rolls having a pass, a tube receiving rod at the delivery side of the rolls and alined with the pass, a removable mandrel for the rod, means 'toseparate the rolls to permit the work being returned therebetween, reEiprocating means to strip a tube from the rod back between the rolls when separated, after the removal of the mandrel, and adjustable means to limit the movement, of the roll separating means to gage the size of the opening when the rolls are moved toward each other; substantially as described.

2. A tubemill comprising continuously driven rolls provided with a pass, a tube receiving rod at the delivery side of the rolls and alincd with the pass, a'removable mandrcl for'the rod, means to separate, the rolls" to permit the return of the Work between the rolls, a reciprocating stripper to return. the ivork between the rolls when the rolls are separated, and adjustable means to limit the movement of the roll'separating device to gage the movement of the rollswhen moved toward each other.

3. A.- tube mill comprising continuously driven rolls provided with a series of passes, a series of tube receiving rods at one side of the rolls and alined with the respective passes, a feed device upon the opposite sides of therolls and shifting'laterally into cooperative relation with any of the passes, means for separating the rolls to permit the return of the work between the rolls, a re- 5. A tube mill comprising'rolls, a tubereceiving mandrel rod a stripping mechanism, and suppdrts for the rod, said supports having openings permitting the passage of the stripping mechanism, substantially as described. I

6. A tube mill co" rising rolls provided with a pass, a tube-feceiving mandrel rod at one side of the rolls and alined with the pass, means for-separating the rolls to permit re turn of the work betweenthe rolls without.

compression, stripping mechanism, and a.

support for the rod having an opening permitting passage of the stripping mechanism, substantially as described.

"7. A tube mill comprisin rolls having a pass, atube-receiving mandre rod alined wlth the pass, Iiieans for supporting the rod from above, and a stripper workingbeneath the rod, the support having an opening to permit passage of the stripper, substantially as described,

8. A rolling mlil comprising continuously driven rolls having a ass, a work support at the delivery side'o the rolls, means for separatiu'g the rolls to permit of thework {being returned therebetween, reciprocating means to strip the work from the support back'between the rolls ,wfien separated, and an adjustable stop to limit the movement of the rolls when movedtoward each. other, snbst'antially'as described.

. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto RALPH c. ST-IEFEL. JOHNIH. NICHOLSON.

, set our hands.

Witnesses: JOHN MILLER,

Conwm. 

